The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), is continuing to impress visitors through its participation at the world’s biggest annual foodservice, hospitality and retail event, Gulfood 2014 in Dubai, which continues till February 27 at Dubai World Trade Centre.

“The significance of participating in such a high profile event lies in the gathering of representatives from all over the world under one platform, which encourages us to enhance the participation of Omani companies year after year due to the increased demand for the locally manufactured products,” noted Ayman bin Abdullah Al Hasani, Deputy Chairman of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) and Head of the Organising Committee for the Omani Products Expo (OPEX).

Al Hasani added, “Similar events play a pivotal role in disseminating facts and raising awareness on the high quality witnessed by the Omani products to the world, which has been praised by the visitors to the Omani pavilion at Gulfood 2014.”

Speaking about the next Omani Products Expo (OPEX), Al Hasani said, “After two successful exhibitions in Riyadh 2012 and Doha 2013, the next exhibition will be held in Dubai, UAE during the period from 14 to 16 September, 2014. In fact, Dubai serves as a vital platform to reach to whole world, which will eventually contribute to increasing the volume of exports. For instance, following the Omani Products Expo which was held in Riyadh, KSA, the Omani exports to Saudi Arabia rose by 93%.”

On their side, the participants taking part under the umbrella of PEIE at Gulfood 2014 expressed their satisfaction on the impressive turnout to the Sultanate’s pavilion and they called for increasing the allotted space next year so that more companies get benefited from this high-profile event.

Salim bin Ahmed Al Kathiri, general manager of Dhofar Cattle Feed Company emphasised the importance for companies and factories operating in food products sector to take part in the exhibition. “The expo attracts business owners, investors, decision-makers and specialists from various investment sectors worldwide. The event offers a great opportunity for Omani products to be highlighted and introduced to the concerned parties alongside the participating international companies, to be able to be acquainted with the latest innovations and practices in the field,” Al Kathiri pointed out.

Al Kathiri, added, “The company produces approximately 46,000 liters of fresh milk per day, and 110,000 liters of dairy, yoghurt and juices per day. “In fact, this amount does not cover a large portion of the domestic market, and we are currently seeking to develop our business and increase the available livestock. Besides, as an integrated company, we are also taking care of other sectors like poultry, plastic, meat and agriculture. Today, more than 1200 Omani employees are working in Dhofar Cattle Feed Company.”

Variety of products
On his side, Mohamed bin Salim Al Amri, assistant general manager at Dhofar Beverages and Foodstuff, said, “From my opinion, any company producing foodstuffs should participate in such an event in order to develop and maximize opportunities. Our company produces more than 16 products ranging between water, soft drinks and juices, and we are aiming at food production in the coming period.” He added, “Through our participation at Gulfood 2014, we aspire to reach to visitors from all over the world, besides creating new links and establishing new markets for our company through new distributors who conform to the objectives of our company.”

Salim Bakhit Fadil, marketing assistant at Salalah Macaroni, stressed that the expo serves as a global gathering and plays a major role in meeting with distributors from all over the world especially from Africa and East Asia to discuss the major challenges faced by the two parties. “This year’s presence of Omani companies at Gulfood 2014 is impressive and we look forward for even a stronger presence next year with an increased allotted space,” he stated.

Internal and external awareness
Ibrahim bin Salim Al Houqani, executive director at Nizwa Foodstuff Company, said, “Our participation at this expo comes in order to raise awareness on our products externally in parallel with the local marketing campaign. Furthermore, the event offers a valuable opportunity to get familiar with the rapid development witnessed by the field of packaging and canning, which is particularly inspiring in Europe and East Asia.”

Mohamed Aqeel Ba Omar, chairman of Health Food Company, hailed the efforts undertaken by PEIE to support locally manufactured products, and noted that expo presents a dynamic environment featuring specialists in the field of food products from all over the world, which is a great opportunity to introduce the excellent quality reached by the Omani products. “We hope to spread awareness on the Omani products to the largest segment. Thanks to wise policy of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the Sultanate of Oman enjoys an advanced industrial infrastructure including ports and airports, which have eased on the export and import of products. This reputation has attracted visitors to stopover at the Sultanate’s pavilion at the expo and enjoy learning about the locally manufactured products,” Ba Omar noted.

Utilising more than one million square feet, the five-day business extravaganza witnesses the participation of more than 4,500 exhibitors representing international companies and brands in the various disciplines of food and beverages, of which 300 are participating for the first time.